CINCINNATI — Cincinnati racing driver Evagoras Papasavvas is leading the FR Americas championship and has his sights set on IndyCar, including the Indy 500 and the full NTT IndyCar Series.
Papasavvas, who started racing go-karts at around 6 years old after his father introduced him to the sport, has steadily climbed the ranks from karting to open-wheel cars.
"It all starts from just a love for cars and for racing," Papasavvas said.
His father was a race car driver himself, and that early influence set Papasavvas on a path defined by passion and persistence.
"It all just comes from just a passion and a determination to just keep working on it and just keep winning no matter how hard times get," Papasavvas said.
His commitment to racing has come with real sacrifices. Papasavvas missed his high school graduation because he had a race in Wisconsin that same weekend. His mother questioned the decision, but he had no doubts.
"I was so sure that I definitely wanted, I needed to go to this race," he said. "I wanted to go to this race over the graduation because this is my career, this is what my life is."
Beyond the track, he is already working to build the business side of his racing career. He attended CES, a major technology convention in Las Vegas, in January, where he connected with potential partners and sponsors alongside his management team.
"Ever since then we've just been constantly working with these companies to build a partnership, build a relationship to not only benefit myself in racing, but to also benefit them in the long term so we can both grow and both develop in our own ways together," Papasavvas said.
Sim racing — simulated racing using high-end technology — plays a major role in his preparation between race weekends, when time behind the wheel of an actual race car is limited.
"Sim racing is super important for drivers like me when it's like the only kind of practice or testing that we can do before a race weekend," Papasavvas said. "To have a good foundation behind you and good technology behind you, have the good resources there to help you get that ever so slight 1% better — it's a huge thing."
Papasavvas is also actively seeking support from Cincinnati businesses. He said partnerships can start small — with product deals or brand ambassadorships — and grow over time toward the kind of title sponsorships seen in NASCAR and IndyCar.
While his immediate focus is the next race, his long-term goal is clear.
"My goal is to right now I'm on the path to IndyCar, so that's the Indy 500 and the whole NTT IndyCar series. I'm getting closer every year, getting closer and closer as I move up the ranks," Papasavvas said.
Even so, he said his love for the sport goes beyond any single series.
"I just love racing in general and it doesn't really matter what series as long as I can make racing like a career and get paid to drive a race car then I'm happy," he said.
Fans can follow Papasavvas on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Race coverage is also available on the Racing America YouTube channel.
This segment aired on CINCY LIFESTYLE and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI.
